Blu-ray Review: Dallas Buyers Club

By
S. Clark
– January 29, 2014Find Others: Blu-ray, Movie, ReviewGet More: , , , , ,

Dallas Buyers Club Blu-ray boxSTUDIO: Universal | DIRECTOR: Jean-Marc Vallee | CAST: Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, Jennifer Garner, Steve Zahn
BLU-RAY & DVD RELEASE DATE: 2/4/2014 | PRICE: DVD $29.98, Blu-ray/DVD Combo $34.98
BONUSES: deleted scenes, featurette
SPECS: R | 117 min. | Drama, Biography | 2.40:1 aspect ratio | 5.1 DTS-HD audio | English, Spanish subtitles

RATINGS (out of 5 dishes): Movie | Audio | Video | Overall

Dallas Buyers ClubMatthew McConaughey (Mud) plays his best role yet in Dallas Buyers Club, and he deserves the awards that he’s won.

The drama film tells the true story of Ron Woodroof, a Texas cowboy and playboy who’s diagnosed with AIDS in the early days of the disease and given 30 days to live.

With AIDS medicine still being tested and undetermined how much it’s helping, Woodroof finds a doctor in Mexico who prescribes a cocktail of vitamins and others that help more than the pharmaceutical drug. Woodroof also sees a money-making opportunity and starts the Dallas Buyers Club to get the treatment to other AIDS patients, for a price, of course.

Dallas Buyers Club is a raw, realistically shot film that looks at the frustrations of the early AIDS victims, a rapidly expanding group in those days, as well as the politics surrounding the search for a cure.

The acting is stellar throughout, highlighted by McConaughey’s Golden Globe-winning performance. In his Golden Globe-winning supporting role, Jared Leto (Lord of War) is brilliant and devastating as Rayon, an infected transgender who helps McConaughey’s Woodroof build the Dallas Buyers Club. And Jennifer Garner (The Odd Life of Timothy Green) plays a doctor trying to straddle the needs of the patients and the rules of her hospital.

The biography’s Blu-ray is low on special features, but what’s here is good. The best are the collection of deleted scenes, all of which could have made the movie even better if they’d been included.

The Blu-ray also offers a making-of featurette, which is quick and fine and contains interviews with most of the movie’s players.

 

Buy or Rent Dallas Buyers Club
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About S. Clark

Sam Clark is the former Managing Editor/Online Editor of Video Business magazine. With 19 years experience in journalism, 12 in the home entertainment industry, Sam has been hooked on movies on since she saw E.T. then stared into the sky waiting to meet her own friendly alien. Thanks to her husband’s shared love of movies, Sam reviews Blu-ray discs in a true home theater, with a 118-inch screen, projector and cushy recliners with cup holders.